Concealed door-check.



'W. E. WILLIAMS.

CONCEALED DOQR'CHECK. AP'PLlcAUoN FILED APR.2, 1914.

Patented Juy 27,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

w.4 AE. WILLIAMS. CONCEALED DOOR CHECK.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 2. l'9| 4.

1,147,909. Patented July 27, 1915.

` 2 VSHEETS-SHEET 2.

. l ma?? Ul I "k VILLAII ERASTUS W'ILLIMS, OE' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSGNOR TO WLLIAM D. v THNSON, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONCEILLED 3300R"`HECK.

Application le April 2, 19M.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l,- WILLIAr-.r Eiiasrns .VUJLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of illinois, have invented a new and useful improvement in Concealed Door- Checks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of door checks which are vconnterrunl Within the body of the door in a manner to conceal their appearance so that the door presents a smooth exteriorandA without any attachments which mar its appearance or collect dust and dirt.. n

The object of ray inif'ention to provide a check that will have the detailed merits hereinafter described and set forth in the claims, which merits enables the check to be cheaply manufactured and become more ellicient in service than any check heretofore made of its kind.

Reference will be had to the accompanying dra-Wings in which- Figure l is a top plan view ot the top ot the door mounted on its hinges partly open, at atime when the mechanism ot' the check is in a posit-.ion locking the door against the action of the springs i'rozn closing; it. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the top of the door broken away to expose a part of the check. Fig. 3 is an end View of the top ot the corner ot' the door lookingY into the end of my check on section line -l-I-l of Fig. 4. Fig. l a vertical ele ation of the top of the door'and door trame in section through the centerof my check. Fig. 5 is a section line through of Fig'. 4. Fig. G is a section line through 6--6 ot Fifi. 4. 7 is a section line through 7-7 ot Fig. Fig. 8 is a top plan View of the door when open to its widest limit, that of i510 degrees, and with the top corner of the door broken away to show a detail ot' construction.A Fig. 9 is a similaiyiew to that of Fig. 2, with certa-in of the parts in a diti'erent position. Fig. 10 is a similar View to that of Fig. l when the door is closed, but with certain ot the parts broken away to show details. Fig. ll is a plan section ot a detail through the locking valve. Fig. 12 is sectional detail on an. enlarged scale through one ot the pistons when saine is in position of relieving the pressure within. the checking cylinder. Fig. 13 isan enlarged size sectional View ot Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1915. smal no. @29h23.

the gear of the locking valve. Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional detail4 showing-the crasshead of the piston rods at its outmost limitot' movementn prefer to make my check as narrow as possible, and locate it .in a small, narrow cavity running' along the inside ot' `the top of the door, but the check may be located at other` positions in the door. It may be located in the bottom or the middie section of the door, or wherever the construction will permit and location is desirable.

It is essential with a check of this class to reduce its thickness or size Within such limits as will permit it being placed Wit-hin the body of doors of ordinary thicKness, and to enable a. thin check to be made is one of the desirable things arrived at with my construction.

En the drawings,l indicates the body of the doot', 2 the door casing and 3 the threshold of the door; 5 and 6' indicate the three tubes, which joined tog ther, Ina-ke the general body of my check. yThese tubes are connected at one end to the block 7 and at the other end to the bioek 8,v which when they are secured together act as one piece. Running along the top of the tube 4 there is a binding strip 9, which is carried down around the corner of the door by the leg 10, and connected' to one leat ll of the door hinge. The other leaf l2 of the hinge is coniiiected to the door casing. A. flat, tubular piece 13 connects the block 7 and strip 9 in a manner that vthe corner is iilled out uniting the tubes and strip 9 and leg 10, as it were in the one block, the strip 9 being fastened to block 7 at 14 and to the block S at l5. A strip 16 is fastened to the leaf 1Q of the hinge, and extends up into an angle running along the top of the door casing,r as indicatedA by 17, thus stiftening the inside of the door casing. p

Int-o tubes Ltand 5 I place coiled springs 28 which furnish the energy to close the door.` The lower tube G acts only as a reservoir for holding the checking fluid. In the fiat tube 13, there is mounted a crosslhead 18, which is comiected by the pin 19 to the link 20, which is connected to the pin 21 into a. block which is fastened int-o the strip 1G.

Extending through the crosshead 1S there are the/'piston rods 2B, which pass through stuiiing boxes 24 in block 7, and pass through the sprlngsI 2S and through the pistons 29-, and terminate in heads 3G, in manner to form puppet valves in the pistons.h

J, The springs 2S abut against the pistons andblock 7 and thus push the piston rods y toward the' outer lends of the tubes and thus,

through the medium of the crosshead 18 and link'QO, close the door, and in doingso apply a moment of ieverage equaling the distance from the center of the pin 2 to the center of the hinge 3l. (See Fig. i.) This moment of leverage slowiy diminishes and is rather slight when the door is open [to 180 de rees, as is shown by Fig. Sabot correspon ingly the pressure of the springs becomes greater as they are more and. more compressed by the -withdrayval of the cross. head1'8,as the door is opened.

Then the'door closes under'the influence of the springs 28, the pistons compress the a-greater or less passageway by it hy simply turning the screw. The rapidity with which the {iuid may escape and the door clase is controlled by this valve. The pistons are withdrawn when the door is opened and the fluid then passes from chamber fifi. up

through the apertur" 42 andv past the bail va-lve-elthrough the apertures 44 and 33,

,thusflling the chambers 32, but ou the re -t'urnof-.the pistons the bal l-va lve 43 closes and'thus the fluid is forced to travel in its escape underv the induence of the springs 'from thechambers through the passage lwave before described past the valve 37.

lift is desirable to be' able to hold the door .ingeny given position by means of the door check itself instead ol' limiting devices which arefn contact with the door, is ordinarily used,`so l 'provide a locking Ineens in my check. f

In the pathway of hole 3G provide the 'ifaive or cock v35i, which on its stem carries a pinion or small gear 45, which is actuated by a rech i6, and under the influence of the ack the valve 35 may be turned to 90degrees, thus fing* the aperture and shuttingn oi all es ipc of the Huid from the chamber ii?) by route of the passageway 3G.

The valve 35 is provided with a .taper stein, which enables it to he easily made cou1- plctely tight, and this stem is held down by a spring block 47,'which is heid iu a dovetailed groove in the end of the strip 9. The rack 46 is actuated 4through the means of p merece theI rod 48, 'which passes along underneath' the strip 9 and alongside the tube 4 in a manner not to Widen the cavity in the dor on account of this rod. The rod is connected to a lever 49 hivoted at 50 and provided with an angle projection 5l. onits lower. end that projects through a slot in tube 13 and into engagement with a push button block 52 which is accessible to be pushed by the finger when the door is partly open.

The rod 48 is provided with an extension 53 which projects outward from the door when the door is open and the push block 52 is pushed inward as the valve 35 is closed.v The purpose of this is that when the door is closed forcibly' the 'end 52 will come in contact with the strip 16 and the act of forcibly closing the door will push the rod 48 and'open the 4valve 35 by the contact of this end 53 with the strip 16. (See Figs. 1, and 2.)'

Instead of unlocking the valve 35 by forcibly closing the door, as last described, it may be unlocked by pressing extension of the rod 4,8.. 'When the door is forcibly closed faster than it will close under the inuence of the springs forcing the fluid Within the cham bers 32 through the valve 57, there is danger of injury to the door hinges owing to the tremendous leverage due tothe Width of the door being so much greater than the distance from the center of the hinge pin -l to the center ott pin 2l. Thus a safety es-l cape or relief faire must be provided .in this class of door springs, A

The safety relief valve is desirable with all door checks, but with many of the older type of check the weakest part is in the oo nnec ing links of the check, and their break age is/not so serious an accident asl would he the case under careless treatment with checks of my class.

Nhere safety 'relief valves have heretofore been used they havegenerally'been' provided as separate and distinctf-mechw nis'ni, but in my case I make the piston rods and the piston heads and the. main springs act as the relief vaflvesfasfwill. be under-- stood from' the construction shown. (See Figs. el and l2.) j

The pistou head is madeiof the main pis. ton piece 29, having a hollow stern 54 on 'which is placed the packing rings 5'5, together with an end ring 56, made of metal in contact with the springs and taking the thrust from them, and thus compressingr the packing! rings The heads 30 of the piston rods 23 arc i ittcd to seat at 57 inthe piston heads and make n tight closure .with the aperturel 58 through the stem 54. The apertures 58 of the pistons are larger than 'the piston rods,

icasy and thus when the rods arc in position shown by Fig. 3:2 there is an escapement :ia-@asse from the chambers 32 through the apeitures 58 of the piston head.

lll/hen the door is orcibly'closed at a time when the valve 35 is closed, or whenlthe door is closed faster than the escape will permit past the valve 37, when the valve 35 is open7 then the pressureon the piston heads becomes very great, and the heads 30 o these rods generate so much pressure in the chamber 32 that this pressure working against the piston heads 29, outside of the heads 30 of the rods, will force back the springs 28, allowing the piston rods to project as shown in Fig. l2, thus permitting the escape of' the fluid through the aperture 58 past the pistons and allowing the door to he closed without injury to the hinges.

Any fluid that passes the pistons within the tubes 4 and 5 will run down by gravity through the holes that connect the three tubes together, and thus this fluid will drop down through to the reservoir tube (l from whence it is drawn as needed, up or past the ball-valve 43.

'lo prevent escape of the fluid around the piston rods through the block 7, the rods are packed by the packing 6()7 conipressed by the Aglaruls Gl.

lVhen the door is open. say beyond l2() degrees and the valve is then locked or closed, locking the door in a fixed position open, the position ot the crosshead LQ and link :2O would then be such as wereithe door forcibly closed, the lines of pressure developed would not exert suiiicient pressure on the piston rods to operate the safety relieic before described without danger to the fastening of the hinges, hence l provide au unlocking device for the valve 85 that will automatically unlock or open said valve whenever the door is opened beyond a sale limit,

after said valve 35 has been closed. rlhis unlocking mechanism consists in the tube Gi, spring 63, stud 64 and pin G5. When the crosshead 18 approaches the outward limit of its travel the pin 65 on the lower side of the crosshead abuts against the shoulder 36 of the tube 62. and on further movement carries with it the tube (S2, compressing the spring (33 against the block 52, and thus moving the lever el). thereby actuating. the

rod 4S and its rack 4G, turning the pinion 45 and opening the valve 35, (see Figs. l and lsf) the latter figure showing a position of the parts when the door is open as indicated by Fig. 8, the view 1l being taken in a direction of the arrow (3f), Fig. 8. Any further movement of the crosshead'lS and its pin 65 after the limit of movement of the block 52 is arrived at, is taken up by the spring 63 compressing to accomplish such movement. The stud 64 serves only as a guide for the end of the tube G2.

The tubes 4, 5 and 6 are nicely fitted into the blocks? and 8 and are secured therein signed my check in a t'orm v anarrow space in a door,

by means ofthe rivets 67 and 68- that pass through the blocks and margins of the tubes in a manner locking the parts together against the end thrust of the springs. These rivets G7 and 68 are shown on dotted lines in Fig. t5. The tubes are titted tightly into. the said blocks to. prevent leakage ot' the i'luid around these joints.

4The oloclr 'Z is fastened to the vstrip .fl at 14, and the block 8 to strip 9 by a screw l5. (See Figs. l and 4). The two tubes Pand 5 and springs and 4pistons work togetlier as one, and thus l am enabled to get a powerful thrust for closing the door within a narrow space or countersink in the door which is a great desideratum.,

The 'r'luid of door checks of this class, or any class for'that matter, escapes by evaporation and leakage, and it is very desirable to` have a cheek so constructed that all chance for the escape ot the fluid be prevented as much as possible, so l have dethat there are no joints below the normal level of the Huid in the check when in use that might permit thev escape oic the fluid b v gravity, thus eliminating any chance ofai lault in a packed joint permitting accidental escape of the fluid as is a danger when such packed joints are llocated below the level of the fluid ont the check when in use. For illustration, some checks have a piston rod or other articulating member passing through a stutiing box, below the normal level of the fluid and rely on the packing tov keep the joints tight and prevent the escape of the fluid when the check is in service. Such construction avoid.

An adjustment oi the tension' of the springs of my check may be arrived at for considerable variation in tension by screwing the piston rods 23 through the threads 70 in the crosshead 18. This is doneby means of a wrench adapted to fit on thev 11o squared ends Z1 of the lWhat l claim is: 1. A door vcheclr countersunlt 1.vithin the lloo and provided with a series of tubes for piston rods.

forming the checking chamber anda reser- 115 voirchamber for holding the checking huid, said tubes connected at their ends to blocks which hold the tubes together as one meinber; with passageways for the passage ot' the fluid between the chambers of the tubes 120 and an adjustable valve for lcimtrolling the escape of the fluid between the tube which acts as the reservoir tube and the checking chambers ot the cylinder tubes.

2. A door check counter-sunk within the 125 door and composed of a plurality of tubes dispcsedm a manner to be Iconfined within p u a plurality' of pistons and springs within the tubes; with an adjustable escape valve located ai: the top of; lll@ 55 a chamber for holdi the tubes. whereby access may be had at the top of the door to adjust the escape valve.

3. A door check countersunlcwitbin the door composed of a plurality of checking 5 cylinders lying one above the ,other Within the door and connected together tojact'as one, an adjustable escape valve controlling the escape of the fluid from the cylinders, and an independent locking valve for clos 16 in entirely the escape of the fluid from the cy inders.

4; A door check ccuntersunkl within theVV door and composed of a plurality of tubes forming the body of the check a plurality of springs and pistons within the tubes and a single entrance and a single escape passage .for thesections of the tubes which act as checking chambers; with a checking valve controlling the entrance passage and alock- 20 ing lvalve andan adjustable escape valve for controlling the vescape passagewayn 5. A door check countersunk within the door comprising a plurality of springs and checking' cylinders and a plurality of rods 'for connectin the springs to a single cross accessible for adjusting purposes when the door -is open.

y 6. In a door check of the class described av plurality of tubes arranged one above the .other in a manner to form a thin body that may be placed within the body of the door the upper tubes forming cylinders for checking purposes and the lower tube forming a reservoir chamber; with a plurality of springs, pistons and piston rods located in 40 'theupper tubes and passageways on each side of the pistons between the upper rtubes and the reservoir tubes the passageways on one side controlled by the two systems of valves whereby the fluid 'from the reservoir chamber may be drawn to the upper tubes through a checking valve from the reservoir 'tube and be forced back into the reservoir tubelthrough a passageway controlled by an adjustable escape valve, whereby the rate of the escape'and the corresponding time `consumed 1n closing the door by the action of the springs may be lengthened or shortened by the adjustment ciy the escape valve. 7; 'In a door check of' the class described n T along the topof the ciber7 a piston Within the chamber controlled by the action of the spring, a passageway or a bypass connecting the section of the chamber in front of the 60 piston around to that section of the chamber in the rear. of the piston said bypass controlled by an automatically operated check valve and :1n-'adjustable escape valve, the said escape valve adjustable in a line at 06 right angles Withfthe line of the piston a spring, mounted.

'travelin a'manner that access maybe yhad from the4 edge of *the ldoor to adjust the escape valve. f

s. In e uuid dmsehek a safecyguee -valve for releasing =the` pressure Wl'ienltlew door is forcibly closed-'beyond the retapermissible bythe escape valve,v vwhichfafety relief valve is llocated within ythe piston head .and held shut by theA main" actuating spring of the check. 9. In a liquid door check wherein the'd'oor is closed by the act-ion of a spring and the vrate of travel of the spring in closing the door is controlled bya piston workingsin a cylinder, a safety relief valve for .the chunber of the cylinder whichvalve is formed with the piston heada'nd-thelatterheld in contact with the rodbythe 'energy of 'the' -chamber as the `door is closed; a safety relief valve located-within the .piston head and held closed by uthe pressure of themai-n actuating spring ill-contact with the --piston head; and an adjustable'escapevalve conby means of lthe piston rbdheadsfclosure trolling the rate of-fdischarge of the fluid from the chamber as thespring forces the piston to evacuate the chamber.

.11. In a door check wherein the'closure of a door is` 'effected by a spring and the rate of ltravel of the spring controlled by a piston working in a cylinder and discharg'- y ing a fluid from the cylinder, a safety relief valve located Within the piston and held normally shut 'by the action of the main actuating spring of the' check; with an adinstable escape valve and a lockingvalve cont'rollinf.;` the fluid .in its escape from the cylinder. l

12. In a check ofthe class described a locking -valve for locking-the escape passage of the fluid from the checking chamber I wliiclrlocking device'isA composed of a valve revolving in the escape passageway from a checking chamber and a rack and pinion nievement for controlling the action of this va ve.

3.3.A door check wherein a spring closes the door and the rate of closure is controlled by the escape .of a fluid from a chamber evacuated by a piston actuated by the spring; alocking device for shutting ofi' entirely the escape of the fluid from v.the chamber thus arresting the further closure of the door by the springg= an unlocking device for unlockingr the lockingv device, said'unlocking device beingr operated by a movement of the door 1n tl'ieopeningdirection after the door has been opened beyonda 'safe limit for the locking device to remain iii-force.

' matically unlocking` 14. n av concealed door check the combination of an actuating spring? a checking chamber located within the body of the door, a link connecting the door casing with a cross head mounted to reciprocate within lthe body of the door, suitable intermediate connecting mechanism. for connecting the cross head' to the springs whereby on the openingr of the door the cross head is Withdrawn and the springs are compressed and on closure of the door the springs draw in 'the cross lleatl; a locking device for locking the door in a given position against the movement of the floor unfler the inlluence of the swings and an unlocking` device for unlocking' the locking device the same autothe locking device through the means of the cross head when the latter moves in theregion of its outmost limit. y

15. In a door check of the class described located Within thc body of the door, a checkingl chamber composed of a cylinder within which there is fitted airpiston and spring for actuating the piston in the chamherand a reservoir chanlher located below the checkinn' chamber and connected by passagevays on each side of the piston travel and a check valve for controlling the entrance of the fluid to the checking chamber and a separate escape passageway or by-pass around the checking valve; with two valves located in this escape or by-pass passageway, one of them for shutting entirely the passageway and the other being' adjl'lstahle for controlling,` the size of the oriice in the escape passageway. v

ln witness whereof., I have hereunto signed my name this 13th clay of March,v

A. D., 1014, in the presence of two subscribingr witnesses.

' v WILLIAM ERASTUS WLLIAMSv i l/Vitnesses:

C. A.. JOHNSON, ADELAIDE SCHMIT. 

